Just like beauty, creepiness is in the eye of the beholder.
So says the “Dobler or Dahmer” theory, introduced on this week’s “How I Met Your Mother.”
According to the sociological riff, the line between a romantic gesture and a creepy gesture is a fine one subject to how it is perceived by the recipient.
Insofar as the audience is rooting for Lloyd Dobler, the “Say Anything” scene in which he serenades Diane with a boombox is considered an iconic romantic gesture. But if a man attempted the same move on a woman who had no inclination to reciprocate his romantic feelings, it could easily be repudiated as creepy (hence the reference to notorious serial killer and sex offender Jeffrey Dahmer).
Justin Bieber’s antics on Tuesday’s “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” epitomized the universal relevance of the theory.
During a game in which he and Fallon attempted to shoot random objects (bowls of ramen, photos of Chuck Norris, talking Justin Bieber dolls) threw a basketball hoop, Bieber delivered a surefire viral moment.
The heartthrob picked up one of the objects–a mannequin wearing a Brooklyn Nets cap–and treated it to a kiss as graphic and sloppy as the one Bar Refaeli exchanged with Jesse Heiman in GoDaddy’s Super Bowl commercial.
The audience, full of Bieber fans, screamed with excitement, but many online commenters were quick to call the visual uncomfortable and creepy.
Those attracted to Bieber saw the “Dobler” in his act, perhaps wishing the newly-single sensation was laying that same kiss on them. But if one lacked that romantic draw to Bieber, he or she likely found themselves caught up by the weirdness.
In any event, the segment video is below:
